I’m like a kid on Christmas. If I had to power rank my favorite days of the year, Thanksgiving is number one, Draft Day is number two, and the kickoff of college football season is three; I’m amped. With tonight being the first round, here are five of my bold takes for what I think will occur.
The Jets Make A Deal For Deebo
It’s no secret that Deebo Samuel wants out of San Francisco. The front runners to land the “hybrid that doesn’t want to be a hybrid”, would currently be the New York Jets; gambling.com has New York at +500 to land him with Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Green Bay at +1000.
I think that the Jets will look to make a move for Samuel tonight that would include a first round round pick. The best bet would to be to do a straight up swap… Deebo Samuel for the fourth overall pick. The 49ers get back into the first round and can address the issues they have at cornerback by taking Sauce Gardner and the Jets land a playmaker. It seems like a win win for both sides.
Kyle Hamilton Falls Out Of The Top Ten
I don’t know how bold this is, but I think that one of the best players in this years draft will fall out of the top ten. A “slow” 40 yard dash time tanked his stock from a potential top five pick to a guy that could go anywhere from 8 to Atlanta or 15 to the Eagles. Hamilton has elite ball skills and can play any variation of the safety position; in the box, nickel, run support, or even be the eye in the sky.
While Hamilton should go top ten, I don’t think it’ll happen. The Commanders at 11 or even the Vikings at 12 both make a lot of sense. Whoever grabs this massive ball hawk will get a true steal and a franchise changing player.
Detroit Finds Their Future Gunslinger
There are various teams in the draft looking to upgrade at the quarterback position; Steelers, Panthers, Seahawks, and Saints. A sneaky team to grab a quarterback though would be the Detroit Lions. At number 2, I have the Lions grabbing Michigan pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, but they also hold the final pick of tonight. By this time, Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis will be off the board, but there are three other signal callers that could be in play; Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral, and Sam Howell.
If the Lions want a player to immediately replace Jared Goff, then they should target Desmond Ridder. I still believe that Ridder is the most pro ready quarterback in the draft; his ceiling isn’t as high as Willis, Pickett, or Corral, but he could play right away in the NFL. If Detroits thought process is to have someone develop for a year behind Goff, then they should draft Howell or Corral if available. They’ll need time to develop as a pro, but have awesome upside.
Six Receivers Come Off The Board Tonight
The record for most receivers taken in the first round is seven in 2004; this record wont be broken or tied, at least this year. But I think we will see six wideouts come off the board on night one. There are about eight or nine franchises that need receivers and seven teams have multiple first round picks. Those factors mean a receiver volcano is ready to burst in the first round.
If I had to guess who is coming off the board tonight, I’d lock in the Ohio State duo of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, USC’s Drake London who has a massive catch radius, and the dynamic Alabama pass catcher Jameson Williams. Those are my locks. Then, I’d say that Treylon Burks from Arkansas is very very close to a lock. The fringe guys are Penn States Jahan Dotson and North Dakota States Christian Watson. One of them will be a first rounder and the other will fall to day two. I’d love to see the record get tied tonight, but I don’t really see it happening.
Carolina Replaces Sam Darnold
I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret. Come real close so I can whisper it; Sam Darnold isn’t a good quarterback. In his first season with the Panthers in 2021, Darnold threw for 2,527 yards with 9 touchdowns and 13 interceptions through 12 games. Over his four year career, he’s thrown for 10,624 yards, 54 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions. Yikes.
The Panthers hold what I believe is the most influential pick in this years draft, the number six overall selection. The top five picks I feel are locks with Walker, Ekwonu, Neal, Hutchinson, and either Thibodeuax or Sauce. But six is a toss up. A lot of analysts think Carolina may take Charles Cross or Sauce Gardner, but I believe Malik Willis is the pick. He’s the best quarterback in the draft and would be an immediate boost to a talented, yet raw Panthers offense. Willis’s mobility and playmaking ability paired with CMC, DJ Moore, and Tommy Tremble could be scary.
